Seleccionar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb seleccionar means to select, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Seleccionar is a regular -ar verb, so the tables below show you exactly how it behaves in every tense. On this page you will find the full conjugation of seleccionar in all thirteen tenses, notes on when to use each one, example sentences, the mistakes learners make most often, a ten-question quiz and answers to the questions students ask about this verb. For example, in the present tense you say Yo selecciono los mejores — "I select the best ones" — and in the preterite you say Yo seleccioné las fotos — "I selected the photos". Work through the tables below, read the notes for each tense, and then test yourself with the examples, the common mistakes and the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: seleccionar
- English: to select
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: seleccionando
- Past participle: seleccionado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + seleccionado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for seleccionar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for seleccionar. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem. For reflexive verbs, the pronoun column shows the reflexive pronoun that goes before each form.
Gerund: seleccionando · Past participle: seleccionado
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | selecciono |
| tú | seleccionas |
| él/ella/Ud. | selecciona |
| nosotros/as | seleccionamos |
| vosotros/as | seleccionáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | seleccionan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | seleccioné |
| tú | seleccionaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | seleccionó |
| nosotros/as | seleccionamos |
| vosotros/as | seleccionasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | seleccionaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | seleccionaba |
| tú | seleccionabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | seleccionaba |
| nosotros/as | seleccionábamos |
| vosotros/as | seleccionabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | seleccionaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | seleccionaré |
| tú | seleccionarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | seleccionará |
| nosotros/as | seleccionaremos |
| vosotros/as | seleccionaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | seleccionarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | seleccionaría |
| tú | seleccionarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | seleccionaría |
| nosotros/as | seleccionaríamos |
| vosotros/as | seleccionaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | seleccionarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he seleccionado |
| tú | has seleccionado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha seleccionado |
| nosotros/as | hemos seleccionado |
| vosotros/as | habéis seleccionado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han seleccionado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había seleccionado |
| tú | habías seleccionado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había seleccionado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos seleccionado |
| vosotros/as | habíais seleccionado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían seleccionado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré seleccionado |
| tú | habrás seleccionado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá seleccionado |
| nosotros/as | habremos seleccionado |
| vosotros/as | habréis seleccionado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán seleccionado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría seleccionado |
| tú | habrías seleccionado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría seleccionado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos seleccionado |
| vosotros/as | habríais seleccionado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían seleccionado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | seleccione |
| tú | selecciones |
| él/ella/Ud. | seleccione |
| nosotros/as | seleccionemos |
| vosotros/as | seleccionéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | seleccionen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | seleccionara |
| tú | seleccionaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | seleccionara |
| nosotros/as | seleccionáramos |
| vosotros/as | seleccionarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | seleccionaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | selecciona |
| él/ella/Ud. | seleccione |
| nosotros/as | seleccionemos |
| vosotros/as | seleccionad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | seleccionen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | selecciones |
| él/ella/Ud. | seleccione |
| nosotros/as | seleccionemos |
| vosotros/as | seleccionéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | seleccionen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | seleccionando | with estar for the progressive: estoy seleccionando |
| Past participle | seleccionado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he seleccionado |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. It is the tense you will use most often in everyday conversation, for habits with words like todos los días and for statements that are true in general. For seleccionar, the present indicative looks like this in a real sentence: Yo selecciono las fotos — "I select the photos". Learn the present indicative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Preterite
Use the preterite for finished actions in the past — things that started and ended, often with time words like ayer, anoche or la semana pasada. The preterite moves a story forward, one completed event at a time. For seleccionar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Yo seleccioné con cuidado — "I selected carefully". Learn the preterite forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect
Use the imperfect for background, habits and actions in progress in the past, often with words like antes, de niño or mientras. It describes how things used to be, not one finished event. For seleccionar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo seleccionaba los mejores — "I used to select the best ones". Learn the imperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future
Use the future for plans, predictions and promises, often with mañana, el año que viene or pronto. It talks about what will happen, not what is happening now. For seleccionar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Yo seleccionaré las fotos — "I will select the photos". Learn the future forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional
Use the conditional for polite requests, hypotheticals and what would happen, often in si clauses. It softens a request and describes imagined situations. For seleccionar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Yo seleccionaría con cuidado — "I would select carefully". Learn the conditional forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present perfect
Use the present perfect for recent actions and experiences, often with hoy, esta semana or ya. It connects the past with the present moment. For seleccionar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo he seleccionado los mejores — "I have selected the best ones". Learn the present perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Pluperfect
Use the pluperfect when one past action happened before another past action. It is the past of the past, and it usually appears with antes de or ya. For seleccionar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo había seleccionado las fotos — "I had selected the photos". Learn the pluperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future perfect
Use the future perfect for something that will already be finished by a future time, often with para mañana or para el viernes. For seleccionar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habré seleccionado con cuidado — "I will have selected carefully". Learn the future perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional perfect
Use the conditional perfect for what would have happened under different conditions. It looks back at a past that never happened. For seleccionar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habría seleccionado los mejores — "I would have selected the best ones". Learn the conditional perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present subjunctive
Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. The subjunctive does not state a fact; it states an attitude towards the action. For seleccionar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él seleccione las fotos — "I hope he selects the photos". Learn the present subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past, and note the -ra forms shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. For seleccionar, the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) looks like this in a real sentence: Si yo seleccionara con cuidado, todo cambiaría — "If I selected carefully, everything would change". Learn the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (affirmative)
Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. It tells someone to do something, and it has no yo form. For seleccionar, the imperative (affirmative) looks like this in a real sentence: Seleccione los mejores — "Let him select the best ones". Learn the imperative (affirmative) forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (negative)
Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. It uses the subjunctive forms, so it looks different from the affirmative commands. For seleccionar, the imperative (negative) looks like this in a real sentence: No selecciones las fotos — "Don't select the photos". Learn the imperative (negative) forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with seleccionar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Yo selecciono con cuidado — "I select carefully"
- Él selecciona los mejores — "He selects the best ones"
- Yo seleccioné las fotos — "I selected the photos"
- Yo seleccionaba con cuidado — "I used to select carefully"
- Tú seleccionarás los mejores — "You will select the best ones"
- Yo seleccionaría las fotos — "I would select the photos"
- Él ha seleccionado con cuidado — "He has selected carefully"
- Espero que él seleccione los mejores — "I hope he selects the best ones"
- Yo había seleccionado las fotos — "I had selected the photos"
- Ellos seleccionaban con cuidado — "They used to select carefully"
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Ellos selecciona los mejores — Right: Ellos seleccionan los mejores — Ellos needs the ellos form seleccionan. The singular selecciona belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo selecciono — Right: Ayer, yo seleccioné — The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to seleccioné.
- Wrong: De niño, yo seleccioné todos los días. — Right: Todos los días, yo seleccionaba — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (seleccionaba), not the preterite. The preterite (seleccioné) is for one finished action.
- Wrong: Yo soy seleccionado las fotos. — Right: Yo he seleccionado las fotos. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he seleccionado, has seleccionado, ha seleccionado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: Espero que él selecciona los mejores. — Right: Espero que él seleccione los mejores. — After espero que, Spanish needs the subjunctive: seleccione. The indicative selecciona is wrong here.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on seleccionar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ los mejores. (present tense) A. selecciono B. seleccionabas C. seleccionabais D. seleccionáramos
Complete the sentence: Él ___ los mejores. (preterite) A. has seleccionado B. seleccionó C. seleccionaron D. seleccioné
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ los mejores. (imperfect) A. has seleccionado B. seleccionábamos C. selecciono D. seleccionarás
Complete the sentence: Tú ___ los mejores. (future) A. seleccionarás B. seleccioné C. seleccionarías D. seleccionaríamos
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ los mejores. (conditional) A. seleccionaras B. seleccionaron C. seleccionaría D. seleccionaréis
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ los mejores. (present subjunctive) A. habrás seleccionado B. seleccionarían C. seleccione D. habéis seleccionado
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ los mejores, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. seleccionara B. seleccionó C. seleccionarais D. habías seleccionado
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ los mejores. (present perfect) A. seleccione B. seleccionaba C. hemos seleccionado D. seleccionaras
Complete the command: No ___ los mejores. (negative imperative, tú) A. seleccionen B. seleccionemos C. selecciones D. seleccione
Which is the gerund of seleccionar, used with estar for the progressive? A. seleccionando B. seleccionado C. seleccionaba D. seleccionaré
Answer key
- selecciono — The yo present tense of seleccionar is selecciono.
- seleccionó — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of seleccionar is seleccionó.
- seleccionábamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of seleccionar is seleccionábamos.
- seleccionarás — The tú future of seleccionar is seleccionarás.
- seleccionaría — The yo conditional of seleccionar is seleccionaría.
- seleccione — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of seleccionar is seleccione.
- seleccionara — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of seleccionar is seleccionara.
- hemos seleccionado — The nosotros/as present perfect of seleccionar is hemos seleccionado.
- selecciones — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: selecciones.
- seleccionando — The gerund of seleccionar is seleccionando: estoy seleccionando. The participle seleccionado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does seleccionar mean in English?
Seleccionar means to select. It is used in everyday situations such as Yo selecciono los mejores. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is seleccionar regular?
Yes. Seleccionar is a regular -ar verb: selecciono, seleccionas, selecciona. The only thing to learn is the pattern of endings, which is the same for every regular -ar verb.
What is the gerund and the past participle of seleccionar?
The gerund is seleccionando, used with estar for the progressive: estoy seleccionando. The past participle is seleccionado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he seleccionado.
How do I say “I select” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo seleccioné las fotos. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: Yo seleccionaba con cuidado. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: Yo he seleccionado los mejores.
How do I practise seleccionar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the seleccionar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Seleccionar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for seleccionar.
- Seleccionar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for seleccionar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Sembrar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with seleccionar.
- Separar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with seleccionar.
- Silbar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with seleccionar.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.
- Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.